Dunbar is a football powerhouse at all levels. They are big, fast, skilled, and even more imposing in person than on paper. Regardless, the Poets had to come back from a 13-0 deficit as the Panthers “crounsed” on the Poets early and battled it out on the gridiron until the end to win its 13th State Championship at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium on Saturday.
The Panthers made a statement on the turf; showed courage, heart, and determination but fell just short on the scoreboard in an exciting and extremely competitive game. The Panthers are young, and one gets the sense that – while the Panthers surely came prepared for winning on Saturday – this may have been a dress rehearsal.
The Panthers took an early lead with a 44-yard TD run by sophomore QB Evan Blouir for an early 7-0 lead, followed seven minutes later with a TD pass from Blouir to Freshmen Evan Jones to take a Q1 lead of 13-0. Dunbar responded with 14 points in Q2 to take the lead by one into halftime.
Students, residents, faculty, and staff showed up on Saturday in support. Antoine White, 2nd District Representative with the Calvert County Board of Education, said, “Congratulations to Pax Nation on an outstanding season. It was an honor to be at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium with Steve Crounse, Ricky Mason and Jeremiah Mason, and the rest of the players and staff. Steve has been a friend, motivator, and mentor to several coaches and me for many years. The final score doesn’t tell the true story of the grit and passion these players put into it. Thank you to the seniors for your leadership and efforts.I’m looking forward to watching the returning players thrive as student-athletes.
Dr. Andrae Townsel, Calvert County Board of Education Superintendent, said, “Patuxent has talented players and a talented coaching staff. Their hard work and perseverance showed throughout the season. We are extremely proud of Pax Nation. The good news is that we will only get bigger, faster, and stronger! Panther Pride, Calvert Shines!
County Commissioner Mike Hart also expressed his profound Panther proudness.
Yet, the most powerful statements came off the field and were not all words, per se. During the post-game press conference, I asked Panthers’ head football coach, Steve Crounse, who returned this season for his second stint at Patuxent after a five-year hiatus, why he returned to the Den. “[Lusby] It is a special place….the kids down there have a lot of character, and a lot of them have to fight for themselves for everything they get in life….But to be honest, I came back here for me as much as I did for them,” said an emotional Crounse.
This is also why Crounse returned: to build an even better community. “Nobody had us here, to begin with. And certainly, nobody gave us a chance to win this game,” Crounse said. “But my kids came out and fought. I couldn’t be prouder of a group of young men, and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of Patuxent High School again.”
THE SOUTHERN MARYLAND CHRONICLE WISHES TO DEDICATE THIS ARTICLE TO LEVI BUCK